Unflinchingly Opera

As interesting to me as the process of writing the opera Sanctuaries has been the question "What would it take for the African American community to feel such ownership of the piece that they could feel like this is our opera?"
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Many thanks to Portland State Magazine for the opportunity to sit with PSU Professor and KSMOCA (King School Museum of Contemporary Art) Co-Director Lisa Jarrett to digest the concept of composing an opera and how Sanctuaries was conceived in and around the Portland community. Deep gratitude to my co-creators Alexander Gedeon and Anis Mojgani as well as Third Angle New Music for taking a chance on a first-time opera composer.
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An excerpt of this interview was published in the print version of the Spring 2020 Portland State Magazine. Find the unabridged footage here.